UPDATE: CDC Says It Will Release Its Delayed Autism Report ‘Sometime This Spring’

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells Big League Politics that it will release its delayed autism report “sometime this spring,” after we reported that internal battles are raging about the autism numbers.

“Good morning Mr. Howley, Thank you for your interest in CDC’s upcoming analysis from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. While an exact publication date is still pending, it is expected sometime this spring. If you need attribution for this statement, CDC spokesperson will be appropriate,” said CDC senior public affairs specialist Belsie Gonzalez days after our initial press inquiry.

The CDC “autism prevalence report” was set to come out Friday, but has now been pushed back as people within the agency battle among themselves. The report MIGHT now come out in late April or May, but there are no assurances of that.

The previous two CDC reports have stated that 1 in 68 children in the United States suffer from autism, but independent reports place the figure at 1 in 36.

The new delayed report is now expected to change the criteria for judging what constitutes autism. The numbers currently rely on so-called DSM IV codes for determining mental health disorders. The new report is set to switch to using updated DSM V codes, according to insiders.

Nicole Dowling, who recently took over the CDC-funded Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, is already leaving that branch and going to a different department within CDC. Insiders say she is “running like Hell.” The ADDM now does not have a permanent leader.

The new incoming CDC director, Robert Redfield, is being criticized by Democrats and liberal outlets for allegedly not having enough experience to lead a federal agency and for his onetime relationship with the pro-Christian Children’s AIDS Fund. President Trump seems to trust Redfield when it comes to battling the opioid crisis.